Shield mechanism for turret structure



y 1959 i J. FossA SHIELD MECHANISM FOR TURRET STRUCTURE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1Original Filed Dec. 19. 1952 Hui ZZZ/197%? May 26, 1959 r J. FossASHIELD MECHANISM FOR TURRET STRUCTURE Original Filed Dec. '19, 1952 5Sheets-Sheet 2 May 26, 1959 F ss SHIELD MECHANISM FOR TURRET STRUCTUREOriginal FileolvDec. 19. 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jiwgv farm J. FOSSASHIELD MECHANISM FOR TURRET STRUCTURE .May 26, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 4Original Filed Dec. 1.9, 1952 May 26, 1959 J. FOSSA 2,887,699

SHIELD MECHANISM FOR TURRET STRUCTURE Original Filed Dec. 19. 1952 5Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent SHIELD MECHANISM FOR TURRETSTRUCTURE Joseph Fossa, South Hamilton, Mass., assignor to United ShoeMachinery Corporation, Flemington, N.J., a corporation of New JerseyOriginal application December 19, 1952, Serial No. 326,948. Divided andthis application May 26, 1958. Serial No. 737,635

6 Claims. (Cl. 1258.5)

The present invention relates to improvements in devices for guiding andsupporting a shoe upper while held in an opened-out lace-receivingposition on a workholder for transfer and for in and out movements on arotatable turret with relation to eyeleting, lacing and loading anddischarge stations disposed about the turret, and more particularly to ashield mechanism associated with the turret structure.

The invention is herein disclosed as embodied in a machine forautomatically eyeleting and lacing the eyeleted upper in many respectssimilar to that shown in the patent to Fossa, No. 2,461,889, datedFebruary 15, 1949, for Machine and Method for Manufacture of Shoes. Thepresent application is a division of the copending application of FossaSer. No. 326,948 for Machine for Operating Upon Shoe Uppers filed in theU.S. Patent Office December 19, 1952. The machine referred to, ingeneral, provides a rotatable work supporting turret on which arecarried four radially movable workholders each provided with clampingdevices for supporting the upper with the lacing margins thereof in anopened-out edge-facing relation and with the heel portion of the upperextending radially inwardly on the workholder toward the axis of theturret. Disposed about the turret are a loading station including meanswhich enable the operator to locate and to secure the upper on theworkholder in an exactly predetermined position in accordance with thesize and style of the upper to be operated upon. By successive quarterturns of the turret the workholder and upper supported thereon arebrought successively into operating relation with an eyeleting machinefor insetting eyelets in successive pairs in the upper, and intooperating relation with a lacing machine for lacing the eyeleted upper.A further quarter turn of the turret brings the workholder to anunloading station at which the eyeleted and laced upper is released fromthe workholder preparatory for removal from the machine.

It is a principal object of the invention to provide an auxiliary devicewhich is well adapted to assist in guiding and supporting the heelportion of a shoe upper mounted in an opened-out position with thelacing margins disposed in an edge-facing relation on a workholder onthe rotatable turret, particularly during the transfer of the shoeholder with the rotatable turret through the last quadrant of itsmovement from the unclamping station to the loading station of themachine, and further during the loading and unloading of the upper fromthe workholder at the loading station.

With the above and other objects in view as may hereinafter appear, theseveral features of the invention should be readily understood by oneskilled in the art from the following description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of an automatic machine for eyeletingand for lacing the eyeleted shoe upper illustrating particularly thework supporting and transfer assembly of the machine including theturret and four workholders,

the turret mechanism shown in Fig. 1 illustrating one of the workholderswith an upper clamped therein, a second workholder in its open positionand a third workholder partially broken away to show underlying parts;

Fig. 3 is a detail view in side elevation on a still larger scaleillustrating particularly the toggle control and toggle trip mechanismfor the vamp spreaders with the toggle connection broken and the vampspreaders fully retracted to their open position;

Fig. 4 is a view in front elevation of the turret and workholderassembly partly sectioned on a section line passing through the turretaxis, two of the workholders disposed respectively at the eyeleting andunloading stations being shown;

Fig. 5 is an isometric view looking from below illus-- trating portionsof one of the workholders, and the shoe upper locating slide with thelocating pins and fin slidably mounted on the work holder; and

Fig. 6 is a somewhat fragmentary plan view of the work supporting turretcasing including the cover for the turret casing, the locating device,the feed slides at each of the of the machine, however, being shown asbelieved necessary to illustrate the connection of the present inventiontherewith. For a more detailed disclosure of the machine, reference maybe had to the Fossa Patent No. 2,461,889, above referred to. In thepresent disclosure, the base of the machine is generally indicated at 50(see Fig. 4) and includes a cylindrical casing 52 within which ismounted an indexing work supporting turret 54. The turret providessupport for four workholders 56 which are mounted on guideways extendingradially outward from the turret at angles from one another. At thefront side of the machine, there is provided a locating station whichcomprises a locating mechanism generally indicated at P for theassistance of the operator in locating and clamping successive uppers onthe workholders. At the remaining stations proceeding in acounterclockwise direction around the turret there are provided aneyeleting mechanism generally indicated at I, a lacing mechanismgenerally indicated at L, and a fourth station between the lacing andloading station at which the workholding clamps are released.

With the present construction the turret 54 is provided outwardly fromthe turret at 90 angles to one another to receive the respectiveworkholders 56. It will be noted that the guideways are each formed oftwo rails spaced from one another to form an open slot therebetween andthat radially extending channels 133 are cut into the table top 130,forming inward extensions of the slots provided between the rails of therespective guide- I ways. A second channel 134 out inwardly into theperiphery of the disc in parallel relation to each channel 133 isadapted to receive the shank portion of the lower vamp spreader 148 whenthe vamp spreader is in its downwardly projecting open position, and thewerls Patented May 26, 1

3 holder has been retracted on its support as shown in Fig. 3.

Each workholder 56 of the illustrated construction, see Figs. 4 and 5,comprises a generally U-shaped member having outwardly flanged edges 135forming guides which ride under the recessed edges of the rail guideway131, and two parallel sets of upwardly extending resiliently mountedpins 136 (see Fig. 4) which form the lower relatively stationaryelements of a clamping device for engaging the two adjoining edgeportions of the upper.

In accordance with the disclosure of the Fossa patent above referred to,each of the eyeleting and lacing machines is provided with a feed slidewhich is operatively connected with the workholder presented at theparticular station, and which thereafter acts to feed the workholderfrom a fully retracted position on its guideways 131 toward the axis ofthe turret into the respective machine and then to return the workholderto its retracted transfer position. The feed slide associated with theeyeleting machine is indicated at 142 (see Fig. 4) having a bifurcatedouter end 143 notched for locking engagement with corresponding formednotches 144 in the workholder. The feed slide associated with the lacingmachine is indicated at 145 (see Fig. 6) similarly formed with abifurcated and notched outer end portion for engagement with theworkholders presented successively thereto by the indexing movement ofthe turret.

Each workholder 56 as shown, for example, in Fig. 4, has mounted thereona pair of movable work clamping jaws 146, a pair of vamp spreaders 147,148 (Fig. 3), and a lace measuring or slotting bar 149. The workclamping jaws 146 comprise a pair of lever arms which are supportedintermediate their length on a pivot shaft 150 on the workholder 56 (seeFigs. 2 and 4), and are connected at their rear ends to identical togglelinks 151 which are pivotally connected to toggle arms 152 rotatablysupported on a laterally extending pivot pin 153 at the rear end of theworkholder 56. The toggle arms 152 are connected to turn as a singleunit by a strap 154 arranged to be engaged by an actuating lug 155secured to the upper end of an axially movable control shaft 156 whichis preferably connected to be moved downwardly by a treadle control, nothere specifically shown.

The work clamping jaws 146 are released prior to the final indexingmovement which transfers the work support with the eyeleted and lacedupper held thereon back to the loading station by means of an automaticrelease mechanism which is substantially similar to correspondingmechanism of the F ossa patent.

As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the vamp spreader associated with eachworkholder consists of upper and lower arms 147, 148, above noted, eachformed and arranged to swing about a common pivot 190 and connected forrelated movements to engage simultaneously against opposite faces of thevamp portion of the upper. Each of the arms 147, 148 is provided at itsouter end with a relatively slender, curved lateral extension 192 whichfor the engaging position of the vamp spreader passes across the vampportion of the upper immediately beyond the end of the lacing slit. Itwill be noted that each extension 192 has a cut-away portion 194 whichserves to provide additional space for the performance of the eyeletingand lacing operations along the length of the lacing slit in the upper.The vamp spreader arms 147, 148 are connected to move toward and awayfrom each other as a unit by means of a toggle connection consisting ofa toggle arm 196 and a toggle link 198 connected together by a pivot pin200. The arm 196 is connected at its free end to an arm 202 extendingrearwardly from the base of the vamp spreader arm 147, and the free endof the toggle link 198 is similarly connected to a rearwardly extendingarm 204 formed integrally with the vamp spreader arm 148. For thefurther control of the toggle, connecting pivot pin 200 is provided atone end with a cam roll 206 which rides in a U-shaped slot 208 formed ina block 210 secured to the workholder 132. A weighted arm 212 forming aright angle extension of toggle link 198 provides a convenient manualmeans for straightening the toggle when desired. In order to move thevamp spreader unit to its closed position, the operator pushes the vampspreader arm 147 downwardly. The weighted lever 212 which is thus causedto move from the position of Fig. 3 to the clamping position will havesufiicient momentum to move the toggle links to a past center lockingposition.

The vamp spreader is automatically released at the same time that theclamping jaws clamping the upper in position are opened by means ofconnections not here described which are actuated from the work clamptoggle connections.

The shoe upper is located on the workholder 56 at the loading station Pin a manner similar to that employed in the Fossa Patent No. 2,461,889,above referred to. The upper in a flattened-out condition and with thetwo edges of the lacing slit in an edge-facing relation is placed on theworkholder with the heel portion thereof extending inwardly toward thecenter of the turret. In the event that the upper is placed in positionwith the inside surface thereof up for the insertion of invisibleeyelets, the heel portion of the upper will be positioned above clampinglevel and will be placed in an encircling position over the movableupper clamping jaws 146 and lace measuring bar 149. If, as contemplatedalternatively in accordance with the present invention, the upper islocated in a spread-out position with the outside surface of the upperfacing upwardly for the insertion of visible eyelets, the heel portionof the upper will be placed in a depending position encircling the lowerportion of the workholder 132 and guideway 131. In either event theupper in its spread-out position is moved inwardly on the workholder toa position in which the edges of the ankle portion of the upper adjacentthe lacing slit engage against two rotating pins 272 which are locatedwith relation to the workholder at the loading station in accordancewith the setting of the sizing device for the machine. At the same timethe edges of the lacing slit are positioned laterally on the workholdersby engagement with two fins 274 and 276 arranged to project upwardlythrough the aperture provided between the parallel clamping surfaces ofthe workholder.

The operator is now in position to start the machine. The shoe clamp isapplied by the operation of the foot treadle which acts to depress thecontrol shaft 156 and lug which engages with the strap 154 to move theclamp toggle 151, 152 to its straightened position. The upper vampspreader arm 147 is then grasped by the operator and moved manuallydownwardly to its clamping position in which it engages with theupwardly extending post 226 of the machine start microswitch (not shown)to start the machine.

The downwardly swinging movement of the weighted arm 212 as the vampspreader toggle links 196, 198 are straightened causes the toggle to bemoved to a beyondcenter locking position.

In accordance with the invention a number of auxiliary devices areprovided which are well adapted to assist in the guiding and supportingof a shoe upper mounted on the workholder with the lacing margins ineither of the two alternative inside-up and outside-up positions abovereferred to. Auxiliary support is provided for the shoe upperparticularly during the period when the clamping devices are released asthe workholder returns to the loading station, and for the assistance ofthe operator in removing the eyeleted and laced upper from the machineby means of a shield or guard 310 which is of generally conical shapeand extends slightly more than a quarter of the Way about the turretbeneath the projecting ways 131 from the unclamping station to theloading station of the machine. The shield 310 provides an auxiliarysupport for the upper when released by the clamping devices and alsoacts during the removal of the eyeleted and laced upper from the machineby the operator as a guiding surface to prevent engagement or catchingof the heel portion of the upper with the lateral extension 192associated with the lower vamp spreader arm 148. For this purpose theconical shield is constructed and arranged to permit the vamp spreaderarm 148 to be moved downwardly so that the lateral extension 192 thereofis located beneath and is protected by the shield 310, as shown in Fig.3. The shield 310 is of particular value to support and to guide theheel portion of a shoe upper supported with the outside surface facingupwardly and with the heel encircling the lower clamp and guideway. Itwill be understood that a similar support may be provided for shieldingthe heel portion of an upper supported with the inside surface facingupwardly from contact with the upper vamp spreader arm 147 duringremoval of the upper.

The invention having been described what is claimed is:

1. In a machine for operating upon shoe uppers having a plurality ofoperating, loading and unloading stations, a rotatable turret, aworkholder projecting radially from the turret for movement with theturret to the different stations and comprising cooperating upper andlower clamping elements operable to clamp the shoe upper therebetweenwith the lacing margins in the openedout edge-facing relation and withthe heel portion of the upper placed toward the axis of the turretencircling one of said clamping elements, a vamp spreader having atransverse vamp spreader arm supported from the workholder at the sameside thereof with the encircled clamping element for movement between anopened-out and a closed position against outer portions of the toe andvamp, and a shield supported from the machine at the same side of theworkholder with the encircled clamping element and vamp spreader arm toengage with and position the heel portion of the upper clear of saidvamp spreader arm when in said opened position.

2. In a machine for operating upon shoe uppers having a plurality ofoperating, loading and unloading stations, a rotatable turret, aworkholder projecting radially from the turret for movement with theturret to the different stations and comprising cooperating upper andlower clamping elements projecting outwardly from the turret axis andoperable to clamp the shoe upper therebetween with the lacing margins inan opened-out edgefacing relation and with the heel portion of the upperplaced toward the axis of the turret encircling one of said clampingelements, a vamp spreader having a transverse vamp spreader armsupported from the workholder for movement between an opened-out and aclosed position against the outer portions of the toe and vamp, and ashield supported from the machine at the unloading station at the sameside of the workholder with the vamp spreader and located to guide theheel portion of the upper clear of the opened-out vamp spreader arm uponremoval from the workholder.

3. In a machine for operating upon shoe uppers having a plurality ofoperating, loading and unloading stations, a rotatable turret, aworkholder projecting radially from the turret for movement with theturret to the different stations and comprising cooperating upper andlower clamping elements operable to clamp the shoe upper therebetweenwith the lacing margins in an openedout edge-facing relation and withthe heel portion of the upper placed toward the axis of the turretencircling one of said clamping elements, a vamp spreader comprising apair of vamp spreader elements formed with transverse vamp spreader armsarranged to engage therebetween the outer portions of the toe and vampand pivotally supported from the workholder for movement between anopened-out and a closed position, and a shield supported from themachine at the unloading station at the same side of the workholder withthe encircled clamping element to engage with and guide the encirclingheel portion of the upper clear of said vamp spreader arm in opened-outposition upon removal of the workholder.

4. In a machine for operating upon shoe uppers having a plurality ofoperating, loading and unloading stations, a rotatable turret, aworkholder projecting radially from the turret for movement with theturret and comprising cooperating upper and lower clamping elementsoperable to clamp a shoe upper therebetween with the lacing margins inan opened-out edge-facing relation and with the heel portion of theupper placed toward the axis of the turret encircling one of saidclamping elements, a vamp spreader comprising a pair of vamp spreaderelements formed with transverse vamp spreader arms arranged to engagetherebetween the outer portions of the toe and vamp and pivotallysupported from the workholder for movement between an opened-out and aclosed position, and a shield having a guide surface sloping outwardlyaway from the workholder and extending arcuately about the turret axisat the unloading station to engage with and position said encirclingheel portion of the upper clear of the associated vamp spreader arm whenin opened-out position for the removal of the upper from the workholder.

5. In a machine for operating upon shoe uppers having a plurality ofoperating, loading and unloading stations, a rotatable turret, aworkholder projecting radially from the turret to be transferred by theturret to different stations, said workholder comprising cooperatingupper and lower clamping elements operable to clamp a shoe uppertherebetween with the lacing margins in an opened-out edge-facingrelation and with the heel portion of the upper placed toward the axisof the turret encircling one of said clamping elements, a vamp spreadercomprising a pair of vamp spreader elements formed with transverse vampspreader arms arranged to engage therebetween the outer portions of thetoe and vamp and pivotally supported from the workholder for movementbetween an opened-out and a closed position, and a shield supported fromthe machine at the unloading station at the same side of the workholderwith the encircled clamping element and further supported with relationto said vamp spreader to engage with and to guide the heel portion ofthe upper clear of the vamp spreader arm upon removal from theworkholder.

6. In a machine for operating upon shoe uppers having a rotatableturret, and a plurality of operating stations, an unloading station anda loading station located on the machine in successive quadrants aboutthe turret, a workholder projecting radially from the turret to betransferred by the turret to successive stations, said workholdercomprising upper and lower clamping elements operable to clamp a shoeupper therebetween with the lacing margins in an opened-out edge-facingrelation and with the heel portion of the upper placed toward the axisof the turret encircling one of said clamping elements, a vamp spreadercomprising a pair of vamp spreader elements formed with transverse vampspreader arms arranged to engage therebetween the outer portions of thetoe and vamp and pivotally supported from the workholder for movementbetween an opened-out and a closed position, and a shield supported fromthe machine having a guide surface sloping outwardly and downwardly fromthe workholding and extending arcuately about the turret axis past saidunloading and loading stations to engage with and position saidencircled heel portion of the upper clear of the associated vampspreader arm when in opened-out position for the removal of the upperfrom the workholder.

No references cited.

